Disaster Is Laughing At You

Here's the deal about life. No matter what you do, no matter how careful you are, you can be killed in a huge natural disaster or a terrorist attack. Or crime or random craziness. Just know this. Therefore don't count on being around next year - if you want to tell someone you love them or do some good in the world, do it now.

Similarly you might have a bucket list of crazy stunts and/or crimes that you have been putting off. If you envision yourself on your deathbed (or death elevator or seafront property) regretting not having done this crazy thing, you should do it now.

Karma: light and flavorful

On the other hand, you might only have a handful of nice/stupid things you want to clear off the list. What if in the next month you manage to commit all the crimes, do all the skydiving, thank all the loved ones that you have? After that, statistically, you'll probably live another bunch of decades with NOTHING OF SIGNIFICANCE LEFT TO DO. You'll find yourself counting off the days, waiting for a death that seems to never come. Or worse, maybe you believe in an afterlife in which you are punished for the sins that you got away with on Earth. That afterlife will hang over your head like the Sword of Damocles for all your living days.

Don't even get me started with the concept of Karma.

What's a person to do? My suggestion is that the Earthquake in Japan is best treated the same way you should treat all news - ignore it and just life you life the way you already were.